Naps
by lechymonk
Summary: A sweet moment between Tenpou and Kenren. 10K


**Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki Gaiden or any of the guys. That honor belongs to Kazuya Minekura.**

Kenren Taisho wandered around aimlessly through the grove of sakura trees. Clipped to his belt was his ever full jug of rice wine and tucked in a deep pocket, a chipped bowel that he had found on one of his trips down below. At one time, there had been a drawing of a topless woman at the bottom of the bowl but she had long disappeared. Kenren had his suspicions of who erased her from the bottom of the sake bowl but he'd never said one word to him. Cigarettes were stashed in a pocket on his chest and Kenren reached in for one.

As he lit it, he wondered just what the hell to do with the spare hours before he and Tenpou left for the world down below. Goujun, the dragon king of the Western Seas had given them orders to go and stop a water youkai that was luring human men to their death. By transforming herself into a form that looked like the mythological creature, the mermaid, she would sing on a giant rock and lure men out to the sea, where they would drown. Kenren shuddered as he thought of what she would do to the bodies of the dead humans.

Several months ago, it would have been dangerous to send Kenren on a mission like this. A bare breasted female, on a rock, singing sweetly. Kenren would have been in the water, drowning before anyone could have stopped him. Women had been his weakness. The mark on his forehead was testament to that old fact. It was seared into his flesh by a former superior officer, one whose wife Kenren had slept with on more than one occasion. The officer told Kenren it was a target and the next time he saw Kenren, that's where he would aim.

Kenren was transferred to the Western Army a few days later and there he met the most confusing, stubborn, and absent minded person he'd ever come across. Tenpou Gensui. He was Kenren's age but a rank above Kenren. Tenpou loved nothing more than to be surrounded by his books, maps and scrolls; away from people and controversy. However, having Kenren serving under him, Tenpou soon grew used to controversy but chose to ignore the whispers of Kenren's stubbornness that reached his ears.

Kenren was lost in thought and didn't notice that he had wandered near Tenpou's office window. Looking up, he saw Tenpou at the window, smoking and looking down at him. Stupidly, his heart skipped a beat at the gentle smile Tenpou graced him with. Raising his hand in a half-hearted salute, Kenren's stared at Tenpou, a cocky grin on his handsome face.

"I see you are busy as usual, General." That teasing lilt in Tenpou's voice made Kenren's stomach do funny things. Kenren couldn't put his finger on just what it was that attracted him to Tenpou; there was just something about him. Kenren just shrugged his shoulders and took a last drag on his cigarette, crushing the remainder under his boot.

"Not much to do before we go down below."

"Could you come inside? There are a few things I want to go over with you before we leave in the morning."

Kenren groaned inwardly. Not this again. Tenpou loved nothing more than to go over battle plans, checking his maps, looking up information in one of his hundreds of books until Kenren thought he would die from boredom. The last time they had been sent down below, he had been sitting on the couch next to Tenpou as Tenpou went on and on about something he'd pointed out on a map. Between Tenpou's soft voice and the warmth of his body next to his, Kenren had fallen asleep. Waking a few hours later, his head on Tenpou's shoulder and some strands of Tenpou's hair in his mouth, Kenren had smiled when he'd realized that sometime while he slept, Tenpou had twined his fingers with his, holding his hand while he slept.

Before Kenren could tell Tenpou no, he'd closed the window, leaving Kenren staring at the window with his mouth hanging open. After a few minutes of staring at the huge window and no sign of Tenpou again, Kenren lit another cigarette and made his way to Tenpou's office, his mind running full speed.

"When I see him, I'm gonna tell him I'm not staying to look at maps, or books, or scrolls or any other damn thing he wants me to see." Kenren mumbled to himself as he went through the grove of sakura trees on his way to Tenpou's office. "I'm not even going to let him talk, cause if I do that, he'll just talk all around me and then I end up doing what he wants to do anyway."

Letting out a bark of laughter, Kenren shook his head. Who was he kidding? He would do anything for Tenpou, including sitting and letting his Field Marshall drone on and on about battle plans and other such boring stuff. Kenren entered the building where Tenpou's suite of rooms were, saluting at soldiers as they passed him. Tenpou's door came into view and with two sharp knocks, Kenren let himself in.

Tenpou looked up as his friend and lover came into the room. A bright smile crossed his face and then he went back to clearing off the couch, setting books and scrolls on the floor. Kenren opened his mouth to speak, but Tenpou held up an index finger and Kenren shut his mouth. Tenpou smiled again and walked past Kenren, dropping a fleeting kiss on his mouth. Before Kenren could return the kiss, Tenpou was in his bedroom and Kenren could hear things falling and possessions being shuffled around. Tenpou returned with a red and green plaid blanket.

"Ok Tenpou, what the hell is going on here?" Kenren crossed his arms, a strange thought flying through his mind. Did Tenpou call him in here so they could have sex? It wasn't really like Tenpou, but what the hell? A grin stretched Kenren's full lips as he undid the skull clasp on his chest. "Are you trying to seduce me?" Kenren tossed the clasp on a chair in the corner of the room.

"Goodness, no." Tenpou kicked off his sandals and took off his long white lab coat that he wore. Next came the black tie and it landed in a heap on top of the coat. Sitting down on the middle cushion of the couch, Tenpou patted the cushion to his left. "Sit down, Kenren."

Kenren's hands stilled in the middle of taking off his leather uniform top. Blinking stupidly at Tenpou for a moment, he couldn't think of one thing to say. Finally, his tongue loosened up.

"What the hell?" Kenren's arms fell to his side, the leather top dropping to the floor, a look of dejection on his handsome face. "What did you want then?"

Tenpou patted the cushion once again and smiled at Kenren. He sat next to Tenpou and watched as Tenpou turned and laid down on his back, on the couch, covering himself up with the red and green plaid blanket.

"I want to take a nap." Tenpou looked up at Kenren from his position on the couch. Soft green eyes met confused brown eyes. A look of absolute trust was in Tenpou's eyes. And unless Kenren guessed wrong, love was in those beautiful green eyes as well. Another crack in the wall Tenpou had built around himself.

"You're always taking naps, drifting off in the weirdest places; the floor of your office, your desk chair, the bathtub…" Kenren furrowed his brows. "What do you need me for?"

Tenpou handed Kenren his glasses and he set them down on the little table next to the couch. A light brush of Tenpou's long sensual fingers against Kenren's cheek.

"Haven't you realized yet, Kenren?" Tenpou snuggled down on the couch, his long brown hair draped over Kenren's firm thigh. "I sleep better when you're with me."


End file.
